One of the most prevalent chronic health conditions worldwide is hearing loss. It makes it harder for you to hear and interpret communication around you.
People who work in noisy places like factories, construction sites, and road crews may gradually lose hearing due to prolonged exposure to noise without the right safeguards.
However, loud music and headphone use also impact people who frequently attend outdoor music festivals or visit nightclubs.
You can take steps to reduce your chance of getting age-associated hearing loss and/or noise-related hearing loss, even though only certain kinds of hearing loss are preventable.
Causes Of Hearing Loss And Their Symptoms
The secret to preventing hearing loss is understanding what is “loud” and controlling your exposure. The more time you can listen without damaging your hearing, the lesser the volume must be.
- Hair cells are harmed.
Like tall grass leans in the breeze, hair cells flex when there is noise. The louder it is, the more they bend, which is bad for your ears.
The cells may occasionally straighten after recovery, but they die if they sustain too much damage.
- Damage to the ear’s nerves.
You could find it harder to comprehend and hear the individual sitting next to you in a busy restaurant or crowded area. This indicates damage to your auditory nerve.
- Exposure to high decibels.
Being constantly exposed to loud noises can harm your hearing over time. However, it can also occur if you are close to sudden, brief, explosive bursts of sound, like gunfire or fireworks. Limiting your exposure to loud noises is the best strategy to prevent hearing loss.
Age-Induced Hearing Loss And Preventive Measures
For age-related hearing loss, make sure to:
- Heart disease and high blood pressure can potentially harm your ear’s delicate hearing systems. If your doctor has prescribed medication to lower your cholesterol or blood pressure, take it as directed.
- Limit alcohol consumption and give up smoking and vaping, as these can seriously harm a person’s hearing.
- Keep diabetes in check. According to research, hearing loss is twice as likely in those with diabetes.
- Chronically high-stress levels are bad for your hearing, exercise, and stress reduction are recommended.
- Consume meals that are rich in specific vitamins and minerals.
- Learn about your ancestry. Although it won’t instantly stop hearing loss, you’ll be aware if your risk is higher.
- Drugs that cause hearing loss should be avoided. Hundreds of drugs, both over-the-counter and prescribed, have been linked to hearing loss.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss And Prevention
If you don’t safeguard your hearing in noisy surroundings, you still run the danger of hearing impairment even if you’re as fit as an Olympian and consume salads all day.
It is always a good idea to safeguard your hearing when exposed to loud noises, irrespective of your age or hearing condition. There is nothing more detrimental to your hearing, to put it simply.
Plan to wear hearing protection, such as earplugs and earmuffs, if you will be around loud noises. You may prevent tinnitus or ear ringing, lowering your chance of hearing loss.
Find out if your company offers noise protection if you work in a noisy environment, such as a hair salon where blow dryers are continually in use and music is playing in the background, or bring your own.
Consider using specialized “musicians’ earplugs” to safeguard your hearing if you are a musician or music enthusiast.
They provide you access to the entire dynamic range of the music while keeping the volume down and safe.
Recognize when the sound is too loud. Hearing loss may result from sounds louder than 85 dB. That is comparable to pushing a lawnmower or waiting in line for public transportation.
Test Your Hearing
Being proactive about your hearing health is key to preventing hearing loss. You can start taking steps to stop your hearing loss from worsening if your test results show that you already have any.
Your hearing specialist can explain the best solutions for your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget if you need hearing aids.
Please pay attention to how loud it is at work and play. If you can take basic precautions to protect your ears from noise, there’s no need to quit engaging in the pastimes you love that include a lot of noise!
